1. Technical Field
This invention relates to vehicle article carriers, and more particularly to a vehicle article carrier having a cross bar which can be released from locking engagement with both of a pair of side rails supporting the cross bar generally simultaneously via a single actuating member, and which can further be removed from the side rails without disassembly of the cross bar or the side rails.
2. Discussion
Vehicle article carriers are used in a wide variety of applications to support variously sized articles above an outer body surface of a vehicle. Typically, such vehicle article carriers include a pair of side rails which are secured to the outer body surface of the vehicle generally parallel to one another. Usually at least one cross bar is included which extends between the side rails and which has some means at each end thereof for engaging the side rails to allow the cross bar to be suspended above the outer body surface by the side rails. If the cross bar is adjustably positionable along the siderails it will also typically incorporate some form of locking mechanism which allows it to be disengaged from the side rails such that the cross bar can be repositioned along the side rails if needed. This allows the vehicle article carrier system to be configured to support variously shaped articles thereon as may be needed.
Present day vehicle article carriers typically include at lease one adjustable cross bar having a locking mechanism at each end thereof. Most often, the user must unlock one locking mechanism at one end of the cross bar and then walk around to the opposite side of the vehicle to unlock the other locking mechanism. Only then can the cross bar be repositioned along the side rails as may be needed. In most instances the cross bar is not readily removable from the side rails without disassembly of a portion of the cross bar or the side rails, or a combination of both. However, if one does not anticipate the need for using the vehicle article carrier for a significant length of time, it would be desirable to be able to remove the cross bar from the side rails. This can help lower wind resistance when driving the vehicle and therefore contribute towards greater fuel economy, less road noise, etc.
Various attempts have been made to provide a cross bar having a means by which the locking mechanisms at each end of the cross bar can be simultaneously locked and unlocked from one end of the cross bar. Such attempts involve the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,198, available from the assignee of the present application, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. While the apparatus disclosed in this patent has proven to be a useful and successful product, it nevertheless is somewhat complicated to manufacture in view of the number of independent component parts incorporated.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide a cross bar for a vehicle article carrier which incorporates locking mechanisms at each end thereof which may be simultaneously moved out of locking engagement with a pair of side rails supporting the cross bar from one side of the cross bar, and further via a single actuating member. It would further be highly desirable if such a cross bar could be readily removed from the side rails when in the unlocked position. This would enable the cross bar to be quickly and easily removed without disassembly of any portion thereof and without disassembly of the side rails when it is expected that the vehicle article carrier will not be used for some prolonged period of time.